A Dane Christmas
by Red Hope
Summary: Cameron and Sarah have one Dane Christmas this year! Post BtR. Femslash. Sarah/Cameron. Camerah.
1. Wish List

**Disclaimer & Notices**

**Copyright:** The _Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles_ characters and concept belong to James Cameron and Josh Friedman. However, I own the plot and other characters.

**Notices:** This story contains violence and sexual content. Additionally, this story will contain grammatical or other errors. If you're feverish over the errors, feel free to privately message me about what you find otherwise, just enjoy.

**Summary:** Cameron and Sarah have one Dane Christmas this year!

**Warning:** This is Post BtR (Born to Run).

**Website: **www . redhope . net

Started: December 13, 2010

Series: One Shot, #7

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**A Dane Christmas!**

by Red Hope

**Chapter 1** **– Wish List**

Sarah Connor sighed in mild frustration and stretched her legs for the umpteenth time tonight. She tightened her arms against her body in hopes it'd chase away night's chilling bite.

"You can start the car," the terminator suggested, "Turn on the heat." Cameron didn't bother looking at the freezing human. She already knew her lover had pale lips that could probably match the snow outside.

Sarah's dark green eyes briefly flickered to the terminator then back to the front window. She kept silent and didn't move for another few minutes. She acted like she wanted to tough it out tonight. She felt like if she started the engine then they'd be caught red handed by the person they were tailing tonight. But another chill rolled down her back, and Sarah gave into Cameron's good idea. She started the car and waited for the heat to brush against her face.

"It never gets this cold in LA," Sarah muttered. She thought she'd be fine with her down jacket, but it only mildly kept her body warm. Her legs however were left to the elements. A quick glance at her lover, and she sighed in disgust at how Cameron just wore her purple leather jacket. She then taunted, "It must be nice to have an internal furnace in you."

Cameron finally met the human's gaze. "Yes, but it weighs a lot." She enjoyed Sarah's small grin. She looked back out the window and studied the apartment's window on the fifth floor. "It's from global warming."

Sarah furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Cameron again. "What?"

"It is cold because of global warming," Cameron explained. She zoomed in on the curtained window when a silhouette passed it.

Sarah shook her head and argued, "So you're telling me that we're getting colder temperatures and snow in LA now because the planet is heating up?" She shifted in her seat a little. "Does that really make sense?"

Cameron was quiet until the shadow left the window. "Yes." She turned to her lover. "The Earth is altering its climate to adjust to human activity." She canted her head and asked, "Have you not seen 'The Day After Tomorrow'?"

Sarah opened her mouth a few times and suddenly fired back, "You got this from a movie?"

Cameron turned her head away. "No." She reached over to the radio and turned it on at a low volume. "In the future, the winters are harsher than this. There are constantly blizzards."

Sarah suspiciously eyed her lover and wondered if it was just a joke. Over the past year, she'd learned that Cameron had developed a wicked sense of humor. Half the time, Sarah never knew if Cameron was being serious or pulling her leg. It was hard to tell because Cameron's expression rarely gave her away. In this case, Sarah decided not to say anything else and instead continued the stakeout on their latest suspect.

Cameron was channel flipping and finally settled on a station that was playing twenty-four hour Christmas music. She put her hand back in her lap.

Sarah sunk in her seat, which caused the night vision binoculars to fall between her legs. "Are you sure this guy goes to these AI… parties at night?" She rubbed the bridge of her nose and waited for Cameron's response.

"Yes, I am positive." Cameron didn't add anymore details. She knew Sarah wasn't questioning her ability to research leads to Skynet. Instead, Sarah was backwards griping about sitting out in the cold for three hours so far with nothing accomplished but time wasted.

Sarah reached down and decided to recline her seat just a little. She folded her arms against her puffy chest. "Thanks by the way." She found curious brown eyes on her. "For the down jacket, I mean." She felt a warmth wash over her when Cameron gave her a small smile back. Once in awhile Sarah could work a smile out of the terminator, and it made Sarah melt. She hadn't expected such a reaction to Cameron's smiles, but Sarah enjoyed getting them.

"You do not like to be cold," Cameron stated. She placed her right arm on the door's rest. She focused on the new Christmas song. She rather liked it.

Sarah fought against her heavy eyes. She looked at the time on the radio and nearly groaned. She prayed that Cameron was right about this guy. Rarely Cameron was wrong after so much research. But this was starting to feel like a dead end. Sarah was lost in her thoughts for a few more minutes until a soft hum tickled her ears. Sarah furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her lover, who was truly humming to the Christmas song.

"Are you…" Sarah raised an eyebrow at her lover. She wasn't sure she could believe her ears much less finish her question.

Cameron quickly stopped humming and looked at her lover. "Am I what?"

Sarah slotted her eyes at the terminator then shook her head. She peered back up at the lit window.

The terminator reached over and turned the volume down on the radio. "What do you want for Christmas, Sarah?"

Sarah blinked once then twice and slowly turned to her lover. "What?" Before Cameron could repeat herself, she held up her hand and sighed. "I heard you." She now tucked her hands into her black jacket pockets. "I don't need anything, Cameron."

The terminator was obviously displeased by the answer. She knew her lover wanted her son back, but it wasn't something Cameron could deliver, right now. She summarized that John was at least safe in the future. Cameron went back to the original topic and posed, "You do not have a wish list?"

Sarah chuckled at the whole, ridiculous situation. She couldn't believe a terminator, who was also her lover, was asking her for a Christmas wish list. She shook her head and showed her amused features to Cameron. "I have everything I need, Cameron." She then stretched out her hand and tenderly squeezed her lover's closest thigh. "I have a terminator. What else do I need?"

Cameron softened at her lover's romantic words, which were not a tease but rather serious. She picked up Sarah's hand then kissed it. She lifted her head and whispered, "I guess I will just have to surprise you then."

Sarah's grin turned more sexy, and she huskily murmured, "You do that." Slowly her grin faded away when Cameron was all business suddenly.

"The lights just went out." The terminator's head sharply turned, and she peered up at the now dark window.

Sarah was stunned that her lover knew that without first looking. She muttered, "How does she do that?" She shook her head and released Cameron's hand. "Either he's going to bed or he's leaving." She shot a warning look at Cameron. "If he's smart, unlike us, he's going to bed."

"He is not." Cameron pointed at the apartment housing's front door.

Sarah grabbed her binoculars and set them down in the cupholders between her and Cameron. She put the truck into gear but waited to see where their suspect was headed tonight. She was stunned though when their suspect didn't get in his car.

"Shit," Sarah hissed. "Where is he going then?"

"There is a subway entrance only a few blocks away," Cameron reasoned. She quickly undid her seatbelt and checked her Glock under her jacket. "I'm going to follow him on foot." She opened the door but Sarah's voice stopped her so she turned back.

Sarah reached over, grabbed a handful of Cameron's dark top, and pulled her across the seats. "Be careful." She exchanged a quick kiss with her lover then started pushing her out the door before they lost their suspect.

Cameron straightened out her leather jacket and quickly walked down the sidewalk. She caught up to their suspect. She identified him when he glanced back at her. She read his name that populated in her HUD. Their suspect, Donald Quinn, was a college drop out with an IQ bigger than most human's. But naturally, it wasn't anywhere as big as Cameron's intelligence.

Donald Quinn adjusted the heavy backpack and hurried across the snowy street. He didn't notice the Dodge Dakota truck that revved by him. Nor did he suspect anything from the pretty girl that walked a few yards behind him.

Cameron reached into her jacket and fished out a Bluetooth headset. She fit it into her right ear after turning it on. She waited until it connected with her Blackberry. After a minute, she touched the headset's button and prompted it to call Sarah.

"December twenty-third," Cameron told her lover.

"Two days 'til Christmas," Sarah chimed in after her lover said the code. She came to a stop at a light, but she looked in her rearview mirror at her lover tailing Donald Quinn. "Why did we go back to the old code anyway?"

"Because we can't punch numbers with Bluetooth headsets," Cameron reminded.

"Right," Sarah muttered. She looked over her right shoulder and saw the subway entrance. "I think you're right about the subway." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel because the light was incredibly long. She now saw Donald Quinn and Cameron approaching the mouth of the subway's entrance. "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

Cameron hastily followed her suspect down the steps and into the subway's lobby. "Your health to improve." She reached into her back pocket and retrieved her subway card. She went through a small checkpoint and swiped her card.

Sarah sighed and reminded, "The doctors haven't found anything." She was going to the doctors on a regular basis now and that included a dentist. Cameron was making her go through regular tests every six months so that they could catch the cancer at first chance. But so far, there was nothing on any doctor's radar. "Maybe it's from J-Day."

Cameron stood a few hundred feet away from Donald Quinn at the train station. She looked at the train's line and reported it to Sarah.

"He's headed towards West Hollywood," Sarah guessed.

"Most likely," Cameron agreed.

Sarah grabbed the GPS from its home in the dash mount. "What's the address over there?"

The terminator rattled it off, but she heard her lover cursing at the GPS.

Sarah finally had the GPS setup to go to West Hollywood. She slammed it back into the dash mount then hotly offered, "How about a new damn GPS for Christmas?"

"A Garmin or a Tom-Tom?" Cameron replied. She approached the line when the train arrived.

"This stupid thing is a Garmin." Sarah made the next right and followed the GPS's direction to get back onto the highway. She shook her head. "I should have tailed him and let you drive to West Hollywood."

"We did not have time to play musical seats," Cameron stated. She remained standing in the subway car so she could keep her eye on Donald Quinn at the other end.

Sarah just huffed and continued driving through the city traffic. "It's eleven o'clock on a Wednesday. What the Hell are these people doing on the road?"

"Christmas shopping," Cameron instantly replied.

Sarah couldn't help a laugh at her lover's great answer. "Touche, girlie." She was grateful for the laugh too. "How's our friend looking?"

"He looks rather gay," Cameron honestly replied.

Sarah rolled her eyes when her lover took her question literally. She then checked, "And how can you tell that?" She couldn't hide her grin, but she focused on her turn onto the highway's ramp.

"Why do you think J-Day is the cause?" The terminator decided to ignore Sarahs' earlier question.

Sarah was moving into the fast lane. She became settled in the fastest lane and hit the gas pedal. "I'm healthy as a horse, Cameron." Plus a few battle wounds and old broken bones, but they were all healed now. "You said Judgment Day isn't until April 21, 2011." She mentally did her math. "You also said I die in December of 2005. That was six years from 1999 so you're talking what?" She and Cameron both said in unison, "2013."

Cameron understood now what the human was thinking, but she faintly shook her head. "But J-Day wasn't the cause of the cancer previously before I jumped us forward."

Sarah grumbled at the terminator's logic. "I don't know." She'd wasted many hours at night trying to think of all the ways her cancer was started. She had no answer. "Maybe something happened between 1999 and 2005 that triggered it, but now it won't be triggered since we skipped over it."

"It is… possible," Cameron granted. But she wasn't totally certain since there wasn't any proof or evidence.

"Well," Sarah muttered, "humans must do one thing in life." She shifted into the right lane and went around a slower car. "We must die." She went back into the fast lane.

"I prefer you do so at the ripe age of a hundred," Cameron seriously declared. She swayed a little when the train slowed for another stop.

Sarah grinned and reminded, "That's a luxury I don't have in our line of work, girlie." She noted she had only three miles left before the exit so she shifted lanes to get to the slowest one.

"You'll just have to retire early." Cameron looked at Donald Quinn, who stood up and edged his way to the closed doors. "Next stop is ours, Sarah."

"Got it." Sarah was headed down the exit for West Hollywood. She then furrowed her eyebrows as a thought occurred to her. "Isn't this the gay section of the city?"

Cameron tilted her head but straightened up when the doors drew open. She stepped off and glanced at Donald Quinn. "Yes," she confirmed. She hastily followed her suspect up the escalators.

"Well… I didn't expect that," Sarah admitted. Maybe Cameron was right earlier. She shrugged it off and followed the GPS to the subway's entrance.

Cameron didn't respond and tailed her suspect. She pulled out her subway card again and swiped it to get through the passenger gate. She hiked it up the steep steps to the street above. She didn't want to lose Donald Quinn, especially since he was most likely leading her to the AI party.

"Where are you headed?" Sarah prompted. She was coming to the end of her GPS's helpfulness.

"I'm on Santa Monica Boulevard," Cameron explained, "and nearing North Robertson Boulevard."

"Route 2, right?"

Cameron glanced at that highway on her right. "Yes."

"Wait there," Sarah ordered. "I'm not far." She hit the gas.

However, the terminator decided to cross the road so she could meet Sarah in the correct direction. "I'm going further up to San Vincente Boulevard." She didn't want to lose sight of Donald Quinn.

Sarah pulled into the slow lane and began scanning the faces for her lover. She then spotted the distinct purple jacket. "Gotcha," she stated. She slowed down, unlocked the doors, and waited for her lover to hurry into the truck.

Cameron hoped in and yanked the door shut. "He's headed into Rage."

Sarah rolled past San Vincente Boulevard and studied the bar and restaurant that was currently a nightclub tonight – a very gay nightclub meant for boys only. She turned her annoyed expression onto her lover. "Any ideas now?" She raised an eyebrow. "You know any gay male terminators who could help us out?"

"Terminators are not gay," Cameron replied. She leaned forward and studied the nightclub.

"You fooled me," Sarah muttered under her breath. But she knew Cameron heard her clearly.

Cameron was forming a plan in her head. "I was a male terminator in my last skin sheath." She then pointed to her right. "Let's park over there."

Sarah was a little wide eye about the male terminator comment, but she drove down Route 2 until she could swing around. "Maybe he has connections here," she reasoned.

"The party is here," Cameron argued. "He was carrying a heavy pack with him."

Sarah was not pleased and knew better than to let this drag out. "We need him, Cameron."

The terminator silently conceded and decided on a new tactic. She unbuckled her belt after Sarah parked the truck. "Wait here… come get me out of the club when I send you a text." She hopped out of the truck but looked back at Sarah. "And be prepared to be as butch as possible."

"Camer!" Sarah's yell was cut off by the truck door being slammed shut. She glared darkly at her lover's purple back. She shook her head though when Cameron started swaying her hips in a saucy way. She knew the terminator was going into infiltration mode.

Cameron went to the front entrance of Rage. She smiled sweetly at the two bouncers.

"Woooo, girl!" The right bouncer halted the young girl. "You have a driver's license?"

"Oh of course." Cameron kept her sweet smile and pulled out her driver's license.

The bouncer studied it and thought it'd been fake, but it was real. He handed it back to her. "Go ahead." He curiously watched her go by, and he wondered why in the world the girl wanted to come to the gay club. But, lately he'd noticed more women showing up to get away from straight men.

Cameron unzipped her purple jacket and began scanning the faces for her suspect. She passed easy smiles at some of the other patrons as she started her hunt. She made her way around the dance floor and came back to the bar. She paused when she saw Donald Quinn on a high top table with another male. She didn't see his pack until she looked at the floor under the high chair's legs.

Donald Quinn leaned closer to his friend and continued talking over the music. He toyed with a beer bottle.

Cameron made her way to the bar just behind the pair. She pretended to watch the television screen behind the bar. But she focused on Donald Quinn's conversation.

"I just need a bit more funds, Mich." Donald rolled his bottle on the table. "I'm getting closer to having the program perfected."

"That's what you said the last time I gave you money." Mich was obviously displeased. His hooded eyes stayed locked on Donald Quinn.

Donald bowed his head and considered his beer bottle. "I'm really close." He looked back up. "With a little more time, I could have it, and we can sell this to the highest bidder."

Mich reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "How much more time are we talkin'?"

"Two months tops," Donald insisted.

"Can I get you a drink, miss?"

Cameron quickly shifted her attention onto the bartender. She gave the lanky bartender a smile and quickly thought of one of her lover's favorite beers. "Just a bottle of Firestone Solace," she politely ordered.

The bartender grinned at the young woman and hurried off to get a bottle. He came back and placed the open bottle in front of the customer. "Two dollars."

Cameron gave him the money then took the bottle. She turned around and pressed her back against the bar. She glanced once at Donald Quinn then looked back at all the humans on the dance floor. She focused on Quinn's conversation again.

"It better be smarter than Andy Goode's Turk," Mich warned his business partner.

"It's his idea but improved," Donald insisted. He received a white envelope from Mich and tucked it away in his jacket.

Cameron caught the exchange from the corner of her eye. She grabbed her Blackberry and promptly texted her lover to come inside for her. She put her phone away then looked at her bottle of beer. She lifted it up and sniffed it, but she decided it wasn't to her liking.

"I'm going over there now to meet up with them," Donald told his business partner.

The terminator looked sideways at the men. She slightly frowned because she had miscalculated, and it could derail her plan. But it was too late because she spotted her lover beelining for her.

"I knew I'd find you here," Sarah growled. She stalked up to her lover and grabbed her arm, roughly. "We've got a sick kid at home, and you're fuckin' out partying." She jerked Cameron into her body, which captured a few people's attention.

Cameron barely kept the beer from spilling. She silently regretted telling Sarah to come in like a butch, but she had to go with her own idea now. "I'm allowed to do what I want," she snapped and tried shoving Sarah away, but she put nothing behind her push. She saw that Donald Quinn and Mich were both looking at them. She leaned her head in closer to Sarah's ear and whispered, "See the bag?"

"One step ahead of you, girlie," Sarah murmured back. She then hollered, "You'd like to think that." She ripped the beer from Cameron's hand and pushed Cameron towards Donald's seat.

The terminator fell down and crashed into Donald's chair.

"Holy shit!" Donald complained. He nearly lost his beer too, but he jumped out of his seat and faced the butch woman that'd thrown the girl. "Why don't you take your domestic fight home?"

"Shut up," Sarah fired back, "Twinkie boy." She tossed the beer bottle on the floor, near Donald Quinn.

"What?" Donald neared the butch lesbian.

Sarah stepped up to the tall programmer and challenged, "Stay out of my business, twinkie."

"You backwards diesel dyke," Donald growled, "need to remove your filthy cunt out of here."

Sarah grew amused and revealed a smirk. "Is that all you got? Your dick must be smaller than mine." Her eyes flickered to Cameron, who had grabbed the pack.

"You, bitch. Just get yourself and your gold digger girlfriend out of here." But before Donald could add anymore insult, he suddenly went flying thanks to a sharp punch to his face. His beer bottle was also launched off into the crowd.

Sarah glared darkly at Donald, who was stumbling to get up from hitting the table. "Don't insult my girlfriend." She enjoyed the throb behind her right fist then she jumped for Donald Quinn. But an arm hooked around her waist and stopped her before she could have more revenge.

"Time to go, love," Cameron told Sarah. She saw the people were going hysteric now that a fight had broken out. She turned Sarah around and shoved her through the people. She slung the pack over her shoulder and hastened through the crowd.

"What an ass," Sarah called back to her lover. "I can't believe he called you a gold digger." She rammed through a few people. But what she missed out on was Cameron's small smile that she always loved to see.

"My hero," the terminator coolly teased.

Sarah huffed, but she slowed once they were by the door. She saw the bouncers had the place on lock down. "Cameron, it's your turn." She stepped aside as her lover pushed past and approached the bouncers.

Cameron yanked the second strap over her shoulder then stepped up to the bouncers.

"Wooo, girl. Nobody is leaving until we figure out what's happened here." The bouncer remembered this cute girl that'd come earlier. He also recalled the older woman, who looked like trouble. "Is she with you?"

Cameron glanced back at Sarah then turned back to the bouncer. "Yes, I can't seem to get rid of her either." She moved forward and suddenly grabbed the bouncer by his collar.

Sarah rolled her eyes at the terminator's smart remark. She then saw the second bouncer appeared from the corner so she swiftly pulled her Glock out and pointed it at him. "I don't think so." She grinned at his terrified look. "Can you get the door for us?" She waved her gun at the second bouncer to get the door.

Cameron lifted the bouncer up and replied, "Of course." She threw him into the sealed doors and was glad when her key worked perfectly. She watched the bouncer rolled around on the street.

Sarah shrugged at Cameron's more hostile way, but it worked and they needed to go, badly. She rushed her lover out of Rage, but she flashed a smile at the bouncer on the street. "Thanks for your help." She followed her lover back to the truck.

Cameron glanced at the human beside her.

"Since when did our job become a barrel of laughs?" Sarah fished out the truck keys from her jacket pocket and hit the unlock button.

"Since John left us," Cameron replied.

Sarah's semi-good mood deflated at Cameron's answer. "Thanks for that." She rushed to the driver's door and threw it open. She saw the pack being launched into the middle of the seat.

Cameron buckled up and held on when her lover tore out of the parking lot and back onto Route 2. She recalled their location and how to get home the fastest way. She ordered, "Make the next right."

Sarah hit the brake and barked, "This right?"

"Yes." The terminator grabbed the overhead handle when Sarah hit the brakes harder and sent the truck squealing.

Sarah hastily spun the steering wheel then the gas pedal next once they were around the turn. "We'd been better off with Quinn than his damn box." She glared at the box in the bag between them.

"It could lead us to his project," Cameron argued.

"I hope so, girlie." Sarah started settling down now that they were getting further away from Rage.

Cameron noticed the Christmas music station was still on. She lowered her arm from the handle. "This is my favorite Christmas song."

Sarah looked over at her lover and gave her a dubious look. "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas?" She was dumbstruck that her love's favorite was a 1953 song about a boy wanting a hippo for Christmas.

"It is… catchy and cute," Cameron stated.

Sarah never thought she'd hear the word 'cute' from a terminator.

"Next left," the terminator instructed. After Sarah made the turn, she looked over at her lover. "I am sorry… for my earlier remark."

Sarah flexed her grip on the steering wheel. She knew it was the remark about John. She also knew that over the past months they'd been working hard to keep the peace between each other. Sarah had realized that all she had left was Cameron after John jumped through time. She was thankful to even have Cameron once she discovered that Cameron's chip had never gone into the future. Since then, she and Cameron had grown much closer including becoming lovers one awkward but special night.

Sarah knew the terminator was being sincere. She'd learned how to read Cameron very well over the years. She had to learn. She looked once at her lover then parted her lips to thank her lover for the apology, but Cameron's yell cut her off.

"Look out, Sarah!" Cameron had no ability to stop the approaching event. It was out of her hands, and she couldn't protect Sarah.

Sarah had driven through the green light at the intersection, but fear exploded through her body when a car from the right didn't stop at the red light. She screamed and tried swerving out of the way and mostly to protect Cameron from the impact. But it was too late and the oncoming car plowed into them until they collided with the building at the end of the three-way intersection.

Cameron lifted her head after everything went quiet. She first looked at her lover, who was slump against the seat and groaning softly. She knew her lover was alive, but possibly suffered injury. She heard a door open from the other car so turned her head towards the other car. But the headlights blinded her vision. She switched her HUD to thermal imaging.

The terminator was instantly charged once she realized the approaching human carried a gun. She ripped her right arm free from the door and grabbed it. She effortlessly ripped it off the truck and threw it at the human. She got the seatbelt off and jumped out of the car. Cameron brandished her Glock and carefully neared the human on the ground.

"You bitches," Donald Quinn growled. He tried shoving the heavy door off. "I want my box back!"

Cameron narrowed her eyes at the pinned human. She switched back to her normal HUD. She decided the change of events may pay off afterall, only if Sarah was okay. "If she's hurt more than a scratch…" She didn't finish her threat because she swore her lover would curse her for it. She instead pressed her right boot into the door and started pushing down.

Donald screamed against the pain. He felt his right leg breaking under the pressure. He gave a sharper cry once the bone snapped. He whimpered and clawed at the heavy door.

Cameron knew he wouldn't move now so she rushed back to the truck. "Sarah?" She climbed into the truck. She touched her lover's neck. "Sarah?" She unhooked the seatbelt and gently pulled Sarah into the center of the truck.

"Another minute, girlie," Sarah whispered. She opened her eyes to the chaotic world. "What hit us?"

"Donald Quinn," Cameron merely explained.

Sarah focused on her lover's beautiful features, which were now scraped up. "You're kidding?" After Cameron's headshake, she slipped her arm around Cameron's neck. "Let me grab this." She wrapped her red hands around the bag.

The terminator quickly pulled her lover out of the demolished truck. "I liked that truck."

Sarah patted her lover's shoulder with her freehand. "Put it on your Christmas list, darlin'." She glared back at the truck and joked, "I hope that damn GPS is smashed too." It brought her some kind of satisfaction to know that stupid Garmin was destroyed, even if it was still fine. She liked to believe otherwise.

Cameron had a faint grin, but she carried her lover to Donald's Toyota Tundra and opened the back seat. "Mind watching him?"

"With pleasure." Sarah was lowered into the seat, she dropped the box onto the floor, and pulled out her Glock. She switched off the safety. "But hurry, girlie." She could even hear the sirens now.

Cameron agreed and rushed over to Donald Quinn. She grabbed the door and tossed it aside like it was a doll. She then hauled the human off the ground, dragged him to the SUV, and yanked open the door. She roughly tossed him in it then used the seatbelt to tie down his hands in a cutting knot.

Donald hissed a few times, but he shut up quickly when a Glock was pointed at him.

"Miss me?" Sarah taunted.

Cameron jumped into the driver's seat and slammed the SUV into reverse. She spun the car around and slammed the pedal to rocket down the street. She wanted to get away before the cops saw them.

Sarah held on as best as possible and commented, "Next mission, you get to drive."

"I thought your driving was good," the terminator assessed.

Sarah opened the window and spit out some blood. "Next time is my turn to ride shotgun." She focused back on Donald Quinn.

"I drove twice the last two times," Cameron reminded.

Sarah rolled her eyes and grinned at Donald Quinn. "We're still working out our domestic fight."

Cameron looked in the review mirror at the pair.

Sarah waved her loaded gun at Donald Qinn. "So exactly how did you find us?"

Donald glared at the crazy woman.

"Check his pack," the terminator told her lover.

Sarah humored the terminator's request and started hunting through the pack. She then found what had been their problem. She held out the GPS tracker to her lover.

Cameron looked over the black disc, opened the window, and crushed the disc in her left hand. She held her hand outside and let the particles fly in the wind.

"What you want with me?" Donald's earlier temper had deflated once the GPS tracker was destroyed by the young woman.

Sarah studied the young man then explained, "Your little project is going to get scrapped."

Donald went wide eye and fought, "No. It can't be destroyed." He was upset now and tried moving until the Glock was aimed at his face again. "You can't do that. It's the greatest piece of technology out there."

"That's exactly the problem," Sarah replied. She slightly tilted her head and studied Donald's heartbroken look. She'd thought she was going to kill his only child.

"If you continue with Sky then you'll end up like Andy Goode," Cameron promised the programmer.

Sarah saw how Andy's name registered with Donald Quinn. She didn't know that piece of information herself so she asked, "You knew Goode?"

Donald looked away and stared out the front window between the seats. "He was a friend."

Sarah read Donald's face deeper and saw more than sadness for a friend's murder. It was something more, and she almost blurted aloud what she figure out until she knew it'd only upset Donald more. She felt some sympathy for the programmer, finally. She hated getting any attachment to her missions after Andy Goode. "He was a good friend," Sarah whispered.

Donald's dark eyes cut to Sarah. He softly revealed, "He said the 'Sky is the limit' for computers."

Sarah huffed and briefly glanced at her lover's stoic profile. She understood why Donald Quinn named the project Sky, and it was eerily too close to Skynet.

Sarah shifted a bit in the seat and realized how much her side ached. She hoped nothing was too broken. She looked at her lover's profile and asked, "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet," Cameron replied.

Sarah rubbed her nose with her freehand, which put a hint of blood on her nose. "How about now?"

"No," the terminator replied in near monotone, but a little annoyance was there.

Sarah grinned and waited half a minute. "Now?"

Cameron reached for the radio and flipped stations until she got to the Christmas station again. She decided to ignore her lover's torment.

Sarah looked at the programmer and mentioned, "I hope you like Christmas music… my gold digger girlfriend really gets into the holiday spirit." She smirked. "She likes to spend my money on gifts… like new pickup trucks."

"I want a new Dodge Ram," Cameron informed her lover.

"What color, darlin'?" Sarah was bemused, but she intended to get whatever Cameron wanted for a new truck. It didn't matter to her in the least.

Donald stared oddly at his kidnappers and wondered where his life would end, with these crazy women or some time later. He just kept quiet for the rest of the ride to wherever. He just hoped to see Christmas in two days.

**To be continued.**


	2. December Twenty Fifth

**Disclaimer & Notices**

Please see Chapter 1 for disclaimers and notices.

Started: December 13, 2010

Ended: December 14, 2010

Series: One Shot, #7

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**A Dane Christmas!**

by Red Hope

**Chapter 2** **– December Twenty-Fifth**

Sarah stirred slowly, but she was in no rush to get up until the wonderful smell of food caught her nose. She couldn't help her silly smile despite the space next to her was empty. She sat up and glanced at the clock, which read just a quarter of nine in the morning. She sleepily fussed with her messy hair, but got out of bed and went to the half bath attached to the master bedroom.

It took a good ten minutes for Sarah to wash her face, brush her teeth, and check over her newest wounds thanks to their most recent mission. Briefly Donald Quinn's face passed through her mind, but she was glad to be rid of him since yesterday afternoon. She had to admit that Cameron's plans were improving each time. This time went a lot smoother than the first few attempts Cameron made to devise a solid plan. However, Sarah was flexible with the job and learned when to take charge if their mission was going awry.

Sarah put the hand towel back on the drying rack then headed out of the bathroom. She grabbed a fleece top from her dresser and wiggled it on during her stroll into the hallway. She was still getting a little use to their new house after moving thanks to FBI Agent Auldridge. She couldn't stand him, and she hoped she never ran into him anytime soon.

Sarah put away her hot thoughts because today was Christmas Day with her lover. She entered the foray of their house and glanced at the Christmas tree in the living room. She shook her head at Cameron's perfect tree. She hadn't quite pieced together why Cameron was so Christmasy this year, but it made it hard for Sarah to be a Scrooge like she had been in past years.

In the kitchen, Sarah found her lover cooking their breakfast. It was all Sarah's favorites. She went directly to the coffee pot, which was filled with her favorite brew. She pulled out the pot and filled up the waiting mug.

Cameron was focused on her task to get the sunny side up eggs right. She knew there was a trick to it, and she'd only recently learned the trick. She hadn't quite perfected it yet.

Sarah softly grinned at her serious lover and went over to her. She slipped her left arm around Cameron's trim waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas." She kissed Cameron's temple.

Cameron revealed a thin smile, and her eyes softened at Sarah. "Merry Christmas, Sarah." She gave her lover a quick kiss then focused back on her egg duty.

Sarah chuckled and went to the kitchen table that was already setup for a meal. She sat in her usual seat then tasted her hot coffee. She was surprised to discover the coffee had a nice cinnamon flavor and then a hint of nutmeg behind it. She softly hummed then set the mug down. She had to admit, today would probably be a good day. It'd be a quiet day.

"Have you seen Elizabeth this morning?" Sarah inquired.

The terminator was grabbing plates from one of the cupboards. She put the two designer plates on the counter. "I have not. She is mostly likely busy with her father."

"Hmmmm." Sarah sipped on her coffee. She and Cameron hadn't seen their neighbor, Elizabeth, for a few days. It was unusual because they typically saw the girl once a day after school. "She must be busy with her dad and the holidays."

Cameron silently conceded with the human. "White or wheat?"

"Wheat," Sarah replied. She leaned back in her chair and curled her hands around the hot mug. She bowed her head and wondered what John was doing for Christmas, but he was in the future. She wished he was here, but she was learning to accept he was gone. She blinked back a sting behind her eyes. She cleared her throat and sipped on her coffee.

Cameron busied with putting the eggs onto the plates followed by bacon and toast. Since she and Sarah had moved to the house, she'd started cooking meals and also ate with Sarah. She noticed that it somehow brought them together. She learned that humans found dining a bonding activity.

"I think we handled Quinn pretty good," Sarah decided aloud. She straightened up when her lover arrived with the plates.

"It was my plan," Cameron proudly stated. She turned on her heels and went back for a glass of orange juice. She also still wore her pajamas, which were flannel pants with reindeer all over and a white camisole. However, that wasn't what she wore in bed last night after celebrating Christmas Eve with Sarah on the living room's sofa under the tree's soft glow.

Sarah smirked into her mug. She was growing to love Cameron's arrogant manner, mostly. There were points that it still infuriated her. But she liked that Cameron had confidence because it was something John rarely displayed.

Cameron had a glass of juice and came back to the table. "Do you want jam too?"

"Nah… the butter is good." Sarah took her cloth napkin off the table. "Although I think you flashing your eyes and nearly cutting her skin away to scare Quinn wasn't the best idea." She bit back her grin when her lover narrowed her eyes at her.

"He would have believed us then," Cameron argued.

Sarah shook her head and continued buttering her toast. "We have to be coooovert, girlie." She set her knife down then picked up her fork. "That means no blue eyes."

The terminator softly sighed and muttered, "Rules are meant to be broken."

"I heard that," Sarah replied. She clicked her tongue once at Cameron.

"I see." Cameron raised a challenging eyebrow at her lover. "You're allowed to break rules, but I am not."

"You got it." Sarah chuckled at her lover's displeased look. "Do as I say, Cameron… not as I do."

The terminator went quiet for a few minutes and ate her hot meal. She had to admit her egg came out well today. "You let me break rules."

"Oh?" Sarah prompted. She was curious now.

Cameron had a glint in her honey-brown eyes. "Last night…"

Sarah flushed, brighter than the poinsettia on the kitchen counter. "Yes… well…" She saved herself with a drink of her coffee.

The terminator rested her case and went back to her breakfast. She knew she won that battle.

Sarah struggled to quiet the memories from last night. She hoped none of the neighbors heard them despite there was some acreage between them all. Still her screams would have sent Santa running from the chimney last night. But, she recalled that it wasn't too terribly embarrassing since their cover had changed since John was gone. She and Cameron were now domestic partners living together and their new last name was Phillips instead of Baum. Sarah let her lover pick the new last name and didn't realize until later that Phillips was Cameron's last name. She always gave credit to Cameron for being sneaky.

After the filling breakfast, Cameron urged her lover to the living room where the Christmas tree waited for them. Sarah delayed it by getting another cup of coffee then she fussed on her way to the living room. Once in there, Sarah took up residence on the sofa chair with her legs drawn up. She shook her head when Cameron tossed her a gift from under the tree.

"Cameron," Sarah drew out in an aspirated tone.

"Open it," the terminator ordered. She stood up next to the sofa chair.

Sarah groused a few times but opened it. She laughed and happily declared, "A Tom-Tom." She then curiously peered up at her lover. "When the Hell did you get this?"

"Over a month ago," Cameron informed.

"Huh." Sarah grinned because she should have known that the terminator paid attention to her complaining about the GPS long ago. She then slid out of the seat and picked up a gift for the terminator. She handed it over then sat down but with a grin.

Cameron suspiciously eyed the box, but slowly opened it.

"That's not a truck," Sarah warned her lover. "We can do that tomorrow."

The terminator had a faint grin. She opened the gift and suddenly her usual small smile became a bit bigger on Christmas. "Sarah…" She stared at the huge box of gourmet chocolates.

Sarah set the coffee mug back on the side table and hopped out of her seat. "Ever hear of Moonstruck Chocolates?" After her lover's headshake, she added, "They're suppose to be very good." After her lover started eating with her, Sarah discovered that Cameron loved chocolate. She stood beside her lover and pointed out the candy cane truffle. "That one looks really good."

Cameron was dazzled by all the different truffles in the box. She counted fifty pieces, and she was glad her body didn't react to chocolates like most humans' bodies. But one thing was sure, she thoroughly enjoyed the taste of chocolate and was making a study of all the chocolate candies in the world. She forced herself to set the box down beside Sarah's mug.

"I have one other gift for you." Cameron caught her lover's suspicious eye so she said, "Wait here." She left the living room and headed into the hallway.

Sarah shook her head and wondered what the terminator was up to. She grabbed her coffee and sipped on it. She heard the guest bedroom open earlier and now it closed again. She set her mug down then heard the terminator's feet padding against the wood floor. Sarah slowly felt her jaw slacken as Cameron approached her with arms completely full.

"Oh… my god," Sarah whispered in shock. She looked from Cameron's arms to her face. "Cameron…" She wasn't sure what to say.

Cameron neared her lover and hefted her precious cargo. She gave a soft smile at her lover and held out her arms.

Sarah opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she looked down and met the most adorable set of black eyes that peered up at her. Sarah's heart melted instantly without her say so. She started to smile and especially at the red bow around the black puppy's neck. She finally reached out and took the puppy.

"Cameron… I don't know…" Sarah couldn't finish her words and wasn't sure how she felt about a puppy. She looked between her lover and the beautiful puppy. She shook her head and sadly whispered, "We don't exactly live a life conducive to a dog." She missed having a dog in her life since her days at college.

The terminator canted her head and informed, "We have the perfect lifestyle." She looked at the puppy then back up at her lover. "She can warn us of terminators and protect us from attackers."

Sarah grinned at the terminator's logic.

"And you love dogs," Cameron softly added. It was an old conversation she had with John before her jumped into the future.

Sarah was petting the puppy and then curiously inquired, "What breed?" She suspected what the puppy was, but she wanted to hear it from Cameron.

"She is a Great Dane."

Sarah let out a breath and nodded once. "Big… big dog." But she absolutely loved Great Danes. She'd wanted one since she was a child, but her mother never got her one. She couldn't believe she was finally holding a Great Dane. Every good reason in her head told her not to keep a dog.

Cameron could sense a slight struggle in her lover. "Elizabeth will help us with her."

Sarah quickly looked up at her lover. "Elizabeth knows about… her?" She signaled the puppy by lifting her.

"Yes, she helped me pick her out of the litter."

Sarah goggled and asked, "You got her from a breeder?"

"Of course." Cameron looked from the Great Dane to the human. "I did not want any imperfections."

"Naturally." Sarah chuckled. She then knelt down and put the puppy on the rug. "She's beautiful, Cameron."

The terminator knelt down and started petting the puppy.

Sarah curiously watched how her lover, a terminator, was able to pet the dog without any problem. She held back that thought then asked, "What's her name?"

Cameron shook her head and looked at Sarah. "You must pick it."

Sarah let out a breath and ran her fingers through her wavy hair. "Well…" She then suspiciously studied her lover and prompted, "Any suggestions?"

"I was thinking Samantha… or Sammy," Cameron offered.

Sarah grinned from ear to ear at how Cameron had a few ideas already. She bit her bottom lip then teased, "What about our names?" She found a dubious look from her lover. "We can call her Camerah."

"I rather call her Weaver before calling her Camerah."

Sarah laughed at her lover's dislike of the merged names. She knew how much her lover disliked the T-1001 that'd caused so much havoc. She stared down at the puppy and kept thinking about a dozen different names, but she whispered, "Sammy?"

The Great Dane sat up and shook herself then wagged her tail at Sarah.

Sarah realized that the dog seemed to like the name. She looked at her lover and checked, "Have you been calling her Sammy all this time?"

"No." Cameron had a serious look.

Sarah tried gauging if Cameron was pulling her leg again, but she just couldn't tell. She silently cursed and gazed down at the puppy. "Sammy?"

The Great Dane bounced on her feet then flopped onto her side.

"It looks like it's Sammy then," Sarah decided aloud. Then another thought occurred to her. "We're going to need all sorts of stuff, Cameron."

"It's all taken care of," the terminator informed. She lifted her left hand and ticked off each fingertip as she went down the list, "Dog crate, food, collar, leash, some toys, treats, and puppy pads." She saw Sarah's amused look. "Elizabeth helped with that too."

"Are you sure you two didn't get this dog for yourselves?" Sarah teased.

The terminator was rather serious and replied, "I do not like dogs." She'd been attacked a few times thanks to dogs' keen sense about her endoskeleton.

Sarah knew it was the truth, and she gazed back down at the dog. "Then why get her?"

Cameron looked back up at her lover. "Because you've always wanted a Great Dane."

Sarah couldn't help the bittersweet smile and the sting in her eyes. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed her lover. She then mentioned, "She seems to be fine with you."

"She is a puppy," Cameron explained. "She will grow up with a terminator around her."

"That could… work against us," Sarah argued.

Cameron shook her head and promised, "It will not." She canted her head. "Sammy will be trained properly."

Sarah was sure about that too. She started petting Sammy again and couldn't help her silly grin. She actually felt like a kid now that she had her dog she'd wanted for so long. She never expected this one, at all. But she sharply came out of her excitement once she recalled she had one last gift for Cameron.

"Now your turn to wait here." Sarah climbed to her feet and hurried after her other gift she had tucked away.

Sammy went around the terminator and whined when Sarah was gone. She peered up at the other human, who had a strange metallic scent to her. She'd grown use to it and easily distinguished this human from all the rest.

Cameron rubbed the dog's ear and promised, "She'll be right back."

Sammy wagged her tail across the carpet. She then licked Cameron's wrist.

Cameron decided the lick was a lot nicer than a bite. She then stood up once her lover returned with a small gift.

Sarah held the small, wrapped package out to her lover. "Good things come in small packages." Or at least she was praying it was true.

Cameron was definitely curious and undid the ribbon. She could tell Sarah had wrapped it. She put the ribbon and gift wrap on the coffee table then focused on the box's lid. She pulled off the lid only to find a smaller, felt box inside it. She recognized the next box as a jewelry box.

Sarah set the white gift box aside then watched as her lover opened the jewelry box. She felt her stomach starting to knot more. She'd been waiting for this days for a month, but she wasn't sure if she was totally prepared. She'd thought of so many speeches, but decided one just wasn't going to make the moment anymore special for Cameron.

Cameron kept an even expression as the lid revealed a beautiful diamond ring. She estimated the carats had to be two from first glance. She curiously peered up at her lover and recalled an old memory. "A diamond is a girl's best friend."

Sarah softly grinned then her grin went into a nervous smile. "It's an… engagement ring." She lifted her eyes from the beautiful ring to her lover, whose expression went from passive to stunned within seconds. Sarah had never seen that expression on her lover's face. Once Cameron's awed features shifted to her, and she had amazed brown eyes on her, she whispered, "Will you marry me, Cameron?"

Cameron couldn't process what was happening, and she actually felt her chip falter for a moment. She took a deep breath and finally processed Sarah's question.

Sarah thought she was going to pass out shortly if Cameron didn't answer her. She wished her heart would be quieter because she suspected Cameron heard it. She gently touched her lover's arm and found the touch seemed to break Cameron from her stunned spell.

"Yes," Cameron stated in monotone. She then blinked as if something was settled in her. She happily repeated, "Yes, Sarah." She actually felt a rise in heat through her endoskeleton. She wondered if it showed on her cheeks as a flush.

Sarah felt her knees turn into gel, but she carefully retrieved the ring. She took Cameron's left hand and gently slid the engagement ring into place. She was proud of herself for getting the size so perfectly.

Cameron admired the engagement ring and was amazed she was wearing one. And she was wearing one because she was really engaged and not just a mindless terminator posing for a mission.

Sarah let out a relieved breath and smiled up at her lover. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Cameron looked at her lover and returned the smile. "Yes… it is." She kept staring at her lover, who was now her fiancée. She turned to Sarah and shut the empty jewelry box in her right hand. She slipped her arms around her lover's waist and gave her a long, sweet kiss.

Sammy watched the two humans in the tender embrace. She softly rooed at them, which got their attention on her, briefly.

Cameron looked from the puppy to her fiancée. "An engagement ring was not on my Christmas list."

Sarah smirked and winked at her terminator. "But it was on your wish list."

Cameron softly hummed then leaned in for another kiss. She indeed had a merry Christmas this year despite they'd lost so much. Although everything had changed for them months ago, it seemed as if they were really finding their way, together.

After the tender kiss, Sarah affectionately brushed her hand over her lover's cheek. "I love you."

Cameron only heard those three words in more recent days. She'd never spoke them until Sarah spoke them for the first time. But long before that day, Cameron knew she would make any sacrifice for Sarah including a dog in the family. She wouldn't lose the precious gift that Sarah gave her.

"I love you too, " Cameron whispered back. She returned Sarah's tender smile.

Sarah rested her head on her lover's shoulder. She closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas, darlin'."

Cameron leaned her forehead against Sarah's temple. "Merry Christmas too, love."

Sammy had her head tilted up with her floppy ears fallen back. She softly barked at them and was happy when they both looked at her.

Sarah chuckled and offered, "Merry Christmas to you too, Sammy." She remained in her fiancée's arms and enjoyed a peaceful moment in her life. It was also one of her happiest in a very long time. She tightened her arms around her lover and decided there was no other place she was needed more than here. She was home for Christmas, finally.

**The End**


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